Barbaresco Wine

Barbaresco is one of the noble wines of Piedmont, in northwest Italy. It has a history dating back centuries, though it has drastically changed in style. Through the Middle Ages and Renaissance, it was fashionable for wines to have a touch of frothy sweetness. Although Nebbiolo has always been the base for Barbaresco, grapes such as Moscatello and Passeretto were blended in for this effect.

Enter Domizio Cavazza, the proclaimed “Father of Barbaresco,” who became the first director of the Enological School of Alba (Italy’s oldest) in 1888. In 1894 he founded the first official Barbaresco cooperative with local landowners, and began producing the wine in the single varietal, dry style that we know and love.

In 1933, the Barbaresco zone was officially delineated, and it became DOC in 1966, achieving DOCG, the superior status, in 1980. The four villages of Barbaresco are located in the Langhe along the Tanaro river and consist of Barbaresco, Nieve Read more »

Barbaresco is one of the noble wines of Piedmont, in northwest Italy. It has a history dating back centuries, though it has drastically changed in style. Through the Middle Ages and Renaissance, it was fashionable for wines to have a touch of frothy sweetness. Although Nebbiolo has always been the base for Barbaresco, grapes such as Moscatello and Passeretto were blended in for this effect.

Enter Domizio Cavazza, the proclaimed “Father of Barbaresco,” who became the first director of the Enological School of Alba (Italy’s oldest) in 1888. In 1894 he founded the first official Barbaresco cooperative with local landowners, and began producing the wine in the single varietal, dry style that we know and love.

In 1933, the Barbaresco zone was officially delineated, and it became DOC in 1966, achieving DOCG, the superior status, in 1980. The four villages of Barbaresco are located in the Langhe along the Tanaro river and consist of Barbaresco, Nieve, Treiso and San Rocco Seno d’Elvio, the latter recently separated from the Barbaresco commune and is now part of Alba.

Like its distinguished relative Barolo, Barbaresco is now made from 100% Nebbiolo. But there are distinctions. The climate within its zones is noticeably warmer and drier and grapes ripen earlier, making them more accessible when consumed young. This is not to say that Barbaresco isn’t also ageworthy, indeed it is, but with richer, softer, less tannic expressions.

For wines to be labeled Barbaresco, they must contain a minimum 12.5% alcohol and spend a year in oak and a year in bottle before release. Riservas are aged a minimum of four years, with one of them required in oak. ~Amanda Schuster

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Write your review here, and rate the wine from 1 to 5 glasses above.Everything has its time and place. I am completely convinced that the Tanzer rating on this wine is a mistake as the tasting notes don't even come close to what's in this bottle but like I said, everything has it's time and place. The nose shows blackberry jam, vanilla, black li...
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i have a bottle of 1983 barbaresco discovered in the back of a cupboard. Is it worth my time opening it? would appreciate advice on this!! In anticipation , many thanks leila3@live.ie
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Wine review
by
leila1

January 2010

Snooth Friends from all over, unite!I have this serious doubt I need you to ... this bottle of wine, it´s a Barbaresco Fontafredda 1974, a traditional and old nebbiolo, and my doubt is about how long should I open it up before drinking. The problem is that opinions may diverge widely. Some people believe that this is probably now a very fragil...
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This wine will be brilliant if you are patient and can give it more time... i (foolishly, or perhaps impatiently) tasted recently and will not touch the rest until 2018 or so. My flavour profile indicated the typical pure nebbiolo characteristics, plus dried cherries, raspberries, and a subtle faint black truffle/wild mushroom taste. Big tann...
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